Dear Parents,
When I decided to start homeschooling our son Jack in 2001, there was little to no support for me in our area. I had contacted several so-called support groups in the valley and was repeatedly told that I couldn’t join because I was a first-year homeschooler; I would take up too much of their time. I’d most likely be too needy. They didn’t have time for me, and so on. Although I recognized the need for legal cover and knew homeschool groups were in our area, finding one to accept our family was impossible. To be honest, I was livid; I thought this was ridiculous, and I felt labeled like I now belonged to an elite group of high-maintenance outcasts that wasn’t worth anyone’s time. Undeterred by the mission the Lord put before me, I pulled my son from 2nd-grade private school and started schooling him. It took two years until I found Revival Christian Academy, and when I did, I knew I was home! I flung myself into the ministry and got involved. I belonged to a small group of moms, and I forced myself to push beyond my comfort zone and reach out to others. I somehow knew that to succeed at this, I needed a family to belong to that was doing the same thing. So I made friends and immersed myself in homeschooling.
You see, I’ve been where you are. I’ve been unsure, overwhelmed, ill-equipped, and just straight-up scared! Scared that I was going to mess my kid up, scared I wouldn’t be able to teach the concepts he needed to know, and scared that I wouldn’t teach him enough. There may be nothing we can say that can remove those feelings for you. Still, I hope that by being here with fellow homeschool parents, both experienced and newly baptized into our family, you will find the support and comfort you need to successfully educate your kids as God has called you to do. You are now part of a family. A family that has been set apart and a family on a mission. So welcome to your school and your new family, and God bless you as you start your homeschool year!
